POLICE battered down a man’s door and subdued him with a stun gun after he had threatened to harm himself and others with a knife.

Officers were called out to Hyacinth Avenue, Huncoat, after reports that he had taken an overdose of pills.

When they arrived at the scene, shortly before 1pm on Saturday, they found the man was shouting out of the window, threatening to harm himself and his neighbours.

A police spokesman said: “We knew he had a knife and we began negotiations with him. We tried to engage him in conversation. We did have some concerns for his safety.

“Officers were authorised to use a Taser gun and they managed to get into the house. Once he came towards officers, they used the Taser on him and he was then taken to hospital.”

A neighbour who witnessed the drama but did not wish to be named said: “There was a man in the house and a woman was talking to him through the window. He seemed to be very irate and he was waving his arms everywhere. He said all the police had to go and then he went upstairs and started swearing and shouting abuse at the policemen.

“They had to bash the door down. I could hear them shouting that he had a knife and they managed to stun him with a Taser device before taking him away in the police van.

“I don’t know him very well but I understand he has had some problems. Everyone has been talking about it on the street as it is a big thing for us. You don’t expect it to happen on your own street.”

It it understood that a 39-year-old man was taken to the Royal Blackburn Hospital for a check-up and has since been admitted to a mental health unit.